Does Trying to Make Money With a Microblog Mean That You Automatically Lose Your Independence?

Most people who start microblogs do so because they're just interested in talking about something. Whether it's their daily life, the goings-on of their town and surroundings, or their favorite hobby, microblogging is becoming the most popular way for people to get specific on the internet.

The thing is, though, microblogging takes time, and unless you're using a free host, it costs money too. Bandwidth continues to get cheaper every year, but with the advent of online videos, flash games, and other high-bandwidth objects cut into this. Additionally, all of the effort involved in microblogging makes it feel like a job, so why shouldn't you earn more than just praise and attention? You deserve a little money, right?

The thing is, when you decide that you want to make money with your microblog, you threaten to lose your independence. You will first have to make space for ads, which detracts from your own subject matter. Additionally, many advertising services do not inform you as to what ads will be shown on your website beforehand, meaning that the ads may be inappropriate for your demographic or content. After all, if you're microblogging about a local sports team, you're not going to win a lot of points with your visitors if an ad promoting the rival team is at the top of your blog! Also, many ads are just downright distracting, and are seen as a "cop out" by visitors. This is especially true if you've been getting by without ads for quite some time.

There are several ways to deal with this. One is to simply refuse to accept ads, and fiercely defend your independence even though it will cost you money. It's not an easy option, but if you've already got a good paying job and your bandwidth costs aren't too high, it may be the best one. A second is to offer premium services to those who are willing to pay more. Premium services (such as special articles or other content) are a great way to bring in money without giving in to "the man," and are much more effective than begging for donations. A third way is to offer ads, but to check them out first. There are many advertising networks out there now which offer very carefully tailored ads which will mirror or at least try to go along with the content of the website, and even try to not get in the way of the actual content.

In any event, it's up to you to find what works best for you, and how much (if any) of your independence you're willing to give up in exchange for a little cash. It is your blog after all, and most bloggers find that they can get by with few ads or no ads, especially if they are microblogging and thus have an inherently small audience. After all, one of the advantages of microblogging is that your small audience gives you the freedom to work with them and give them the information they require in order to make smart decisions, or just be entertained. Why compromise that by jamming in ads? (Author: John Parks)